TAXI.com

I am almost 1 year with Taxi but so far I only submitted two tracks to 1 listingl. Which is quite poor I think.

The reason for this is that almost all of the listings where not in the style of music I make or in a style I am not comfortable with making.

So my question is on an average on how many listings do you submit your music over for a year?

Another question is do you make your music specific for some listings or purely for sync, or are you
Just using a song from your normal standard repertoire when there is an appropriate listing?

The answer to your question will really vary based on each composer's skill sets, work styles, genre preferences, and goals. When I first joined Taxi about seven years ago I submitted well over a hundred my first year. I made the mistake of trying to write for every genre I thought I "could" write to, instead of focusing on those that fit my strengths.

I left Taxi, then came back last year. This time I've submitted to maybe 30 listings in the past year.

Taxi listings are incredibly diverse, I'm surprised to hear that you did not find any that meet your interests. What sort of music do you write?

As far as trying to fit exiting material into a Taxi listing, it is most likely not going to be a fit unless the material was written for tv in the first place. Sync/cues have a specific formula, specific criteria to follow, and the listings spell all of this out in fairly good detail. I always suggest that you create new material for listings, unless you happen to have exactly what the listing is asking for.

At the end of the day, you need to work the process in a way that best fits your work style and skills. If you are doing this just for fun, doing just a couple of submissions per year might be ok. I suggest trying to do more since the feedback you receive can really help you improve your game. Same goes for the Peer To Peer forums. Lots of good people here that can help you hone your craft.

Martijn wrote: ↑

Wed May 04, 2022 11:47 am

I am almost 1 year with Taxi but so far I only submitted two tracks to 1 listingl. Which is quite poor I think.

Makes $154.50 per submission - which is a lot.

Martijn wrote: ↑

Wed May 04, 2022 11:47 am

The reason for this is that almost all of the listings where not in the style of music I make or in a style I am not comfortable with making.

It could be that TAXI makes no sense for you. Are you aware of the money back guarantee?

Martijn wrote: ↑

Wed May 04, 2022 11:47 am

Another question is do you make your music specific for some listings or purely for sync, or are you
Just using a song from your normal standard repertoire when there is an appropriate listing?

TAXI rule #1 seems to be (according to pretty much anyone with any success): Write for the listing UNLESS you have something that matches really good anyway. No square pegs in round holes.

Tom

Martijn wrote: ↑

Wed May 04, 2022 11:47 am

The reason for this is that almost all of the listings where not in the style of music I make or in a style I am not comfortable with making.

The best advice is to write specifically for the listings as that's the style of music the Libraries need and can get placed.

Taxi has a pretty broad range of requests, so If none of the listings are close to your style then maybe you are not writing a genre that TV shows can use.

Have you sat and watched TV shows with an ear on the music ? Can you identify anything similair to the music you make ?

Thanks Paulie

I write electronic music from Ambient (which was the submission) downtempo lounge, chillout, deephouse and techno. Most electronic listings are EDM and that’s not the style I do because EDM is a more commercial version of electronic music. Some of my music is used in The Netherlands for tv programs but maybe in the US the landscape is different. Here are some examples in case you are interested https://soundcloud.com/collectivesoundmembers.

Thanks for your insights.

Thanks CTWF

I am aware of the money back guarantee I might consider this.

Thanks for telling that specific writing for the listing is the obvious one.

Thanks cosmicdolphin

I understand writing specifically for the listing is the main message for the Taxi listings.

As I told in my earlier message some of the music has been used on Dutch television and I got one song used in a well known US drama trough a US sync licensing company.

Martijn wrote: ↑

Wed May 04, 2022 1:48 pm

I write electronic music from Ambient (which was the submission) downtempo lounge, chillout, deephouse and techno. Most electronic listings are EDM and that’s not the style I do because EDM is a more commercial version of electronic music.

Generally, I would say avoid the slower stuff as it's just nowhere near as licensable as the uptempo tracks. I can count the number of slow chill electronica placements I've had on one finger.

Commercial sounding EDM is much more in demand because they want catchy energetic cues as it tracks well with their younger target demogrpahic. You say it's not the style you do , but is it a style you could do as at the end of the day it's a service industry.

Before I joined Taxi I mostly made Depeche Mode style dark elecronic pop/rock ( and who would want that for their TV show ? Nobody ) but over the past 6 years I've had TV placements in loads of different genres, most of which I didn't know how to make when I joined and some I'd never even heard of.

Those genres include : EDM, Future Bass, Dubstep , Hip Hop , Pop , Tension, Corporate Electronica, Funk, Rock, Indie, Dramedy, Orchestal, Trailer, Percussion...and a few oddities like a Xmas track and Chill stuff.

So I think if Taxi is going to work for you, and more widely Sync Licensing in general you'll have to think about branching out into more popular TV genres if you want to get more than just the odd placement here and there.

There was a good video on the subject recently on the Sync My Music Channel, he probably explains it better than I can and has more experience than me.

https://youtu.be/oux7sznQhtI

Hope that helps

Mark

cosmicdolphin wrote: ↑

Wed May 04, 2022 3:18 pm

There was a good video on the subject recently on the Sync My Music Channel, he probably explains it better than I can and has more experience than me.
https://youtu.be/oux7sznQhtI

Great video. Getting music signed to libraries is step 1 but often we forget that a library may accept your track because it's good but it's not what they place most often. They want it in the catalog in case the right situation comes up. And sometimes that happens. I always tended to write really sad, depressing songs ("She left me and I'm going to jump off a bridge" misery songs). Dozens of them are in that "Critical" library. They do get pitched sometimes but sadder songs have way fewer slots for placement than upbeat/uptempo ones. So I am trying to shift to more upbeat, or at least leaning more that way.

A lot of the backing tracks to my songs are in various libraries. The upbeat rock song backing tracks get placed on reality TV very often. Sometimes the song wasn't that good vocal or lyric wise, but the driving guitar and drums is what they want.

Good info!
Casey

Great video Mark. Could be me he is talking about in the video. So If I want to get more placements I have have to change the focus on some of my styles and the direction I want to go.